Spudding shoe



Patented July 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. GALLMAN AND FRANK HAIBE, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOBS TO OIL WELL SUPPLY COMPANY OF PITTSBURGH, IPIlf'JIbTITSYIlh VANJEA A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SPUDDING SHOE.

Application filed September 15, 1921. Seria1'1io. 500,826.

I This invention relates to a device for use in connection with oil and gas drilling rigs and known in the art as a spudding shoe. In drilling oil or gaswells by the use 'of the cablesystem, in which a string of tools is suspended from a cable and raised and lowered'by means of a walking beam. the cable. which is wound on the bull wheel. passes over a pulley hung from the top of the derrick. and the string of tools is suspended from the end of the cable. After the well has string of tbols is reciprocated in the bore by means of a temper screw which is hung from the walking beam. and which has a rope clamp thereon that engages the rope or cable above the string of tools and below the pulley over which the cable passes to the bull wheel. In starting the well. however. and in ,performing other operations near the surface of the ground. such as driving in the casing, the walking beam cannot be used by reason of its being relatively near to the surface of the ground. In starting the well, therefore. and in driving casings, a special tool is. put on the end of the rope,

the bull wheel is locked. and the walking beam disconnected from the crank and wrist pin through which it is driven. A -rope called a jerk line is then connected with the crank and with the cable at a point between the bull wheel and the pulley at the top of the derrick. This serves to pull the cable sideways upon rotation of the crank and that portion of the cable between the tool and the pulley is thereby raised and lowered. The spudding shoe is used for slidably connecting the jerk line with the cable. It is used until the well is sufliciently deep to enable the temper screw to be used,

after which it is removed. It is 'also used in driving the well casings.

Spudding shoes as heretofore used have been constructed in such manner that they wear out and break before they have been used long. Furthermore, with the shoes now in use. there is a certain amount. of danger in that they can fly off when the jerk line breaks, and cases have been known .where the operator has been killed from this cause.

The principal objects of the resent invention are to provide in a spu ding shoe a strong durable construction which will have a long life, and to provide a safety dereached asuflicient depth. the

vice therefor which will prevent it from flying off the cable in thevent that the jerk line breaks, but which may be readily applied and removed. Further objects of the invention are to provide a spudding' shoe which can be conveniently handled; which can be anchored in such manner that it cannot climb the cable. and which,- if desired. may have removable cable engaging surfaces.

The invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which i Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a spuddlng shoe embodying our invention and the wayjin which it is connected with the various ropes or cables,

Figure 2 is a top view ona larger scale A of a spudding shoeembodying the invention.

F gure 3 is a side view thereof. Figure 4 1s a transverse section of the spudding shoe on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3. i

In the drawings. A designates the spudillng shoe, B the cable, and C is the jerk The spudding shoe A is preferably formed outside of the body is an integral strengtheningrib 11.

A bearing surface for the cable is provided within the hook at the end of the passage 10. This may be integral, or may be detachable.

When it is detachable, as shown in the drawings. it comprises a member 12 having an arcuate bearing portion 13 having a groove therein. It is held in place by bolts 14, while overhanging lugs 15 are provided thereon for engaging the upper and lower edges of the body.

At 16 is a handle, preferably formed integral with the body on the central portion 5 thereof. An eye 17 is also provided on the portion 5, and is preferably integral therewith. i

Disposed between the spaced apart extenthe body,

line at this point.

our invention.

sions 7 on the bifurcated end of the body is a roller 18 having a concaved periphery. It is held in place by a suitable pin or axle 19. Projecting from the body are two lugs 20 in which is a pin 21 on which is carried a guard member 22. A spring 23 normally urges the guard member out, but the inner end thereof extends under the edge of hook portion 9. As indicated in Fig. 4, the edge of the hook is preferably recessed to receive the end of the guard so that it will be flush with the'walls of the passage l O.

In use, the drilling cable is pressed against the guard member 22, which yields inwardly until the drilling cable B is passageway 10. Then the guard is forced back into position to close the passageway by spring 23. The jerk line C is looped around the roller 18. The provision of the roller tends to reduce the wear on the jerk When the jerk line has been drawn tight, the cable B will engage the curved concaved bearing surface 13. To prevent the spudding shoe from climbing the cable B, a rope D may be attached to the eye 17 and to any stationary portion of the lower part or floor of the rigging, not shown. If the jerk line should break while the spudding shoe is in use, the guard 22 will prevent the shoe from flying off the cable. The spudding shoe may be quickly detached, however, at any time by merely forcing the guard inwardly and then slipping the cable B out. x

A spudding shoe made in accordance with our invention is strong and durable and will outlast the type of device now generally used for this purpose. Various changes and modifications maybe made in the construction shown, which are within the scope of What we claim is: 1. A spudding shoe comprising an integral body having a relatively wide thin hook-shaped portion 'at one end and means at the other end thereof to which a jerk line may be attached, an integral strengthening ribextending around the hooked portion of and a rope engaging surface inside said hook portion and supported throughout itslength by the hook portion.

2. A spudding shoe comprising a unitary rigid body having means at one end to which a jerk line may be attached, said body at its opposite end being of plate-like width received in the and materially wider than at said means, and terminally returned whereby a drillrope receiving hook is provided which completely opens at one side of the body be tween said ends and has an extended inner rope-bearing surface uninterrupted from top to bottom, means rigid with the body adjacent the lower edge thereof and intermediate its ends for attachment of an an chor means to the body, and a displaceable guard at the entrance of said hook normally closing the same.

3. A spudding shoe comprising a unitary rigid body having means at one end to which a jerk line may be attached, a drill'rope receiving hook at the other end of plate-like width open throughout its extent at one side of the body and providing an extended inner rope bearing surface, means rigid with said body between the first mentioned means and said surface adjacent the line of the center of gravity of the body for the attachment of an anchor to the body, and a displaceable guard at the entrance of said hook normally closing the same to prevent accidental detachment of the shoe from the rope upon breakage of a jerk line.

at. A spudding shoe comprising a unitary rigid body having means at one end to which a erk line may be attached, said body hav ing, a portion at the other end of plate-like width, said body extending away from said means along diverging lines and merging into a relatively wide hook having its bill terminating relatively close to said means'to provide a rope entrance completely open throughout its "extent at one side of the body, the rope-engaging surface of the book being uninterrupted from top to bottom, a

guard at the entrance of said hook normally closing the same to prevent accidental detachment of the shoe from the rope upon breakage of a jerk line, means rigid with and depending from the body at the lowermost of said lines adjacent the line of the center of gravity of the body for attachment of an anchor means to the body, and a handle extending from the body at the uppermost of the first mentioned lines and substantially in alinement with the second mentioned means.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

CHARLES E. GALLMAN. FRANK HAIRE.

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